Are both of these indefinite integrals? Scenario 1: <mtable displaystyle="true"> <mlabeled

Iyana Macdonald

Iyana Macdonald

Answered question

2022-05-10

Are both of these indefinite integrals?
Scenario 1: (1) f ( x ) := cos ( x ) d x
Scenario 2: (2) g ( x ) := a x cos ( t ) d t [ edited after seeing @hardmath's comment ] [ a is a constant ]
Comments:
Both (1) and (2) are functions. An antiderivative/indefinite integral is a function, while a definite integral is a number. So, (3) f ( x ) = g ( x ) = sin ( x ) + c [ c is a constant ]
Is line (3) correct? Are both (1) and (2) antiderivatives/indefinite integrals?

Answer & Explanation

Cristal Obrien

Cristal Obrien

Beginner2022-05-11Added 16 answers

Step 1
Not quite. (1) is definitely (no pun intended) an indefinite integral. Note that evaluating an indefinite integral does not actually lead to a function, but rather to a family of functions differing by a constant. In the case of (1), we have f ( x ) = sin x + C (a family of functions).
Step 2
(2) is simply a function for any given a: by the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus, g ( x ) = sin x sin a. Note that this really is one function, not a family of functions. (If one takes a family of parameters a, then that would result in a family of functions g ( x ) = g a ( x ); but it still wouldn't result in every possible function in the family from (1), since sin a is bounded.)

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